Portal  A Naruto Shippuden Fanfic
by MarXno
Summary: After a portal is made linking the Ninja world with your own, you find yourself a test subject for a secret organization known as Portal. When you awaken in the lab, you meet Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Tenten, and Gaara. Please review! CLICK FOR FULL SUMMARY.
1. Taken

_**Summary**_**:**** After a portal is made linking the Ninja world with your own, you find yourself a test subject in the underground organization known as Portal, run by the FBI and USA government in secret. Along with you, there are others, strangers who claim to be "ninja", who have been captured by the Akatsuki— a group of rebel ninja who are in league with Portal— and delivered to be tested on by the scientists in Portal. Soon after you awaken in a lab, you meet Sasuke— a young, dark boy who rarely talks— Naruto, Neji, Tenten, and Gaara. After Sasuke is badly wounded, you accidentally touch his wound, healing it instantly. What will you do, now that you've discovered these new found powers? And how'd you attain them? Could it have been the scientists doing? One thing's for sure: you all have to escape, and quick.**

**Chapter One: Taken**

When you were a little girl your father would get into fights with your mother. It happened almost every time they saw each other, which wasn't often, maybe once or twice a week. This was because your mother worked for the government. At first, when you think back on those times, to your youngest memory, things were great. Mom was always around, and she and dad always got along. But then, she got called in one day, really late—they said it was an emergency. When she got back a few days later, she wouldn't tell dad what had happened, she told him that she couldn't. That's when dad got angry. Mom ended up in the hospital that night, and dad in jail. You were only five. After that, things got a little better, but it didn't last. Your mom began to get thinner, and more stressed—she rarely ate or slept when she would come home. Dad would try and be nice to her—he'd always tried real hard after being released from jail. But then, around the time you were eleven, mom stopped coming home. At that point, she'd only come home for only one or two days a week, but still, it was forty six hours of seeing her face. She didn't tell you that she wasn't coming back, not to your face. When you came home from school one day, you found the note she'd written explaining things lying on your pillow_. "I'm so terribly sorry, my Darling… But what I am working on may decide the future of this world. I cannot say any more. One day, I hope you'll understand."_ After your dad had read the note, he went to the local bar. You were left alone to deal with it.

Your name is Ember. You are sixteen; your birthday was this past month. You used to live in London—you lived there ever since your mother left—but your dad got a job transfer to Boston last year. You have red hair and blue eyes, and your dad says your voice could take on Rihanna's and win. That's pretty much it. You like to read, and sketch. You have a small group of friends, but they're enough to get you through the school year. You're pretty much as boring as a person can get. You're the quietest kid in school… But hey, who cares, right? One thing you can't stand is blood—anything that has to do with doctors or cuts or scraps or breaks… You guess this might be because of your father always getting hurt: he's a professional daredevil, if there really is such a thing…

You were heading back to school today. It's the thirty first of August, which means that tomorrow school begins at Lily Valley Prep School. You have to take two planes and a train just to reach it. You've personally always enjoyed traveling to and from school—you like to look out the windows of the plane and train and sketch what you see. One time, last year, you sat next to a cute boy who attends another private school. He tried talking to you, but…you're quite, remember? The plane rides were uneventful today, unlike last year… But then, the train ride… You'd been on it an hour, reading a new book you'd gotten for your birthday. The sun was setting, which made it harder for you to read. You'd looked up out the window for a brief moment, trying to gauge how much longer the sunlight would last when it happened. A flash. You don't think anyone else noticed it, though you're not sure how it could be missed. Everything outside the train went white for a second, and then it all came back. Of course, you were a bit freaked out. And the next thing you know, someone had opened the door to your cabin, walked over to you, and plunged a needle into your neck. Everything sort of went blurry after that, and then you blacked out. And now, well, this is where the story begins…

* * *

_What's… What's going on? I…can't move… Why can't I move…? Something is wrong… _Sasuke opened his eyes, his vision slightly blurred. He groaned slightly, his head throbbing. What…? Where was he? Above, a dim light allowed Sasuke to faintly see his surroundings. The only problem was, he couldn't move. Gasping, Sasuke managed to crane his head back to find his wrists tied to the table with a strap. He was… lying on a table? Sasuke tried to move his legs, but found them in the same predicament as his wrists. Looking around the room as best he could, Sasuke saw that he was not alone. To the right of him, on another table, lay a girl about his age. Long red hair framed her heart shaped face—Sasuke couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. _What am I _thinking_?_ Shaking his head, Sasuke took his attention from the unconscious girl and let out a breath, trying to remember what had last happened before he'd woken up here… He'd been doing nothing—leisure time—wandering through a forest. And then… then… _Then what? Why is it so hard to remember? _Again the throbbing pain in his temple was back, causing Sasuke to grimace. He'd been walking, and then… then he'd stopped. He'd heard something. And then there was that sudden pain in his neck. Then… darkness… Sasuke closed his eyes, the lighting making his head hurt even more. That pain in his neck… it'd reminded him of the time long ago when he'd been wounded by Haku's senbon. Sasuke strained against the straps, but found that it was no use._ I have to escape. _ Struggling with all his might against the strap that bound his wrists, Sasuke focused his chakra, unintentionally remembering his training with Squad seven years ago. Ignoring the thought, he sent the chakra to his wrists. It seemed to work for a moment, as the bonds began to strain, but then—"Aaaagh!" Sasuke couldn't help the cry that escaped his lips. Back arching in pain, Sasuke was powerless as electricity rebounded through his body. It was gone as quickly as it had come, leaving Sasuke breathless. A small, gnawing thought, a pit in his stomach that alerted him to how much danger he truly was in, began to form. Teeth set, Sasuke again sent his chakra to his wrists, though this time he sent even more, and strained even harder to free himself from his bonds, and again he was electrocuted, only this time it was worse. Going limp, Sasuke let out a slow breath. There was no point in using any more of his chakra—he could not break free. There was something strange with the straps that bound him. In fact, there was something wrong about the place in general. His chakra was subdued. Not by much, but he could feel the extra effort that was needed to do things. Also, it seemed as if things were heavier than before, as if gravity had settled in a bit too much. Sasuke closed his eyes. Who had done this? What did they want with him?

* * *

Naruto shuddered and gasped. He'd been trying to break his bonds for what seemed like forever, but now it appeared that he was nearing his limit with chakra. Clenching his teeth, he tried once more, sending his chakra to both his wrists and ankles. "Aaaaughhh!" He cried as the electrical current ran through his body. He couldn't take much more of this… But he had to get free!

"Naruto, give it up already! You'll only hurt yourself more!"

Naruto growled, glaring over at Neji. "I don't care! We have to get out of here!"

"Yes, but that clearly isn't the way to do it!"

"Well, why don't you give it a try?" Naruto practically yelled, his wrists straining painfully against the straps that tied them.

Neji frowned. "I did, remember? It doesn't work, Naruto."

With a final struggle, Naruto let his wrists go limp. "Neji, what the hell is going on? Weren't we training with Tenten half an hour ago? How'd we get here?"

Neji shook his head. "More importantly, what do our kidnappers intend to do with us? We can assume that whoever's done this intends us harm."

Naruto glanced around the room again. It was all white and completely bare—save the tables he and Neji were lying on. There was a door just to the left of Neji, though as far as Naruto knew, it was locked. A shiver ran through Naruto suddenly as a thought struck him.… How many more people were trapped like them? And what did whoever had kidnapped them intend to do with them? "Hey, Neji. You don't think this is the Akatsuki's doing, do you—"

"Someone's coming!" Neji gasped, his head turned so that his eyes were on the door. As soon as the two had woken up, he had activated his Byakugan. Naruto swallowed, turning his head so that he too could see the door as it opened.

"So, they're finally awake, huh? Thank God, I've been waiting long enough! I was afraid I'd never get to do my research!"

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly as the two men walked into the room. White coats, a briefcase… What _was_ this? The taller of the two, a man with a crooked nose and a scarred face, turned to glare at Naruto as the door swung shut behind him. The smaller one, the one with the briefcase, ignored his comrade and flicked his mousy eyes over the two ninja. His eyes slid first over Naruto—making the young ninja feel like he needed to take a bath—and then Neji. "This one." He said suddenly, walking over to stand beside Neji. "This one will do."

* * *

"G-Gaara?" Tenten whispered, her voice echoing slightly off the white walls. Beside her, Gaara lay motionless, still unconscious. _Great, _now_ what?_ Sitting up as best she could, Tenten examined the bare room, scanning Gaara's motionless form, the tables they were tied to, the white walls. Suddenly, her gaze passed over a strange object lying in one corner of the room. "Hm? Oh!" Tenten gasped, eyes locking onto the gourd that lay forlornly on its side. _That's… that gourd is Gaara's… _Tenten lay back, thinking. Gaara could control the sand within the gourd… perhaps that sand could aid them in getting free—

"What—?"

Tenten's gaze locked with Gaara's—he was awake. "Gaara?"

The sand ninja shook his head, wincing, and Tenten guessed that he was experiencing the same throbbing headache that she had when she'd first awoken. Gaara began to struggle with the strap that bound his wrists together. Tenten felt her heart drop as she remembered how she'd first tried to break her bonds with chakra. "Gaara, stop! If you try to break any of the straps with your chakra, it'll only electrocute you." Gaara paused, eyeing Tenten as if he was unsure if she was telling the truth. "I wouldn't lie to you!" Tenten said indignantly. Gaara closed his eyes for a moment, suddenly letting his body go limp.

"Alright then. So how do we get out of here?" He asked, gaze flicking back towards Tenten.

Despite her situation, the kuniochi smiled. "I have a plan." Gaara's eyebrow rose questioningly. "Gaara, your gourd is in the corner of the room." At this, the Kazekage's head snapped to the left, his gaze locking onto his gourd.

"What idiots these kidnappers are." He said, sand beginning to rise from the gourd. "I'd prefer them over the Akatsuki any day—this will be too easy to escape."

Tenten felt her breath catch in her throat as she remembered the long journey that she'd taken with her team as well as Naruto's in an attempt to rescue Gaara from the Akatsuki. This wasn't the first time he'd been kidnapped… Tenten's eyes found Gaara's sand, which was sailing towards him. As it drew closer, the sand changed directions abruptly, quickly wrapping itself around the strap that bound Gaara's wrists. "It's Tenten, right?" Gaara asked, eyes on the ceiling. "Was this your plan?" Tenten's eyes were watching Gaara's sand carefully—it had already encased the strap. Suddenly, Gaara's right hand opened. "Sand coffin!" Tenten gasped as a ripping sound echoed around the room. After a moment of silence, the sand surrounding the strap drained away, falling to the floor as Gaara released it. Slowly, he sat up, rubbing his wrists.

Tenten grinned. "Yes, that was my plan exactly." She gasped suddenly, craning her neck so that she could see her bound wrists as sand began to enclose the strap that tied them. Slowly, Gaara opened his right hand again.

"Stay still—this won't hurt."

Nodding, Tenten steadied herself, her heart beating loudly in her chest.

"Sand coffin!"

* * *

"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded, glaring at the man who had just walked through the door. Bald, around the age of thirty five, with thick glasses and rather larger teeth, the man sneered at Sasuke, yet didn't speak. Instead, he reached into his white coat. "What do you want with me?" Sasuke growled, wrists straining against the strap. The man was uncomfortably close to the table that Sasuke lay on, still rummaging in his coat. Suddenly he drew out what he'd been searching for.

"Why should I tell you?" He grumbled, holding the incision knife up so that he could inspect it. Sasuke's eyes locked onto the knife and narrowed.

"What, are you gonna kill me?"

The man pushed his glasses, which had slid to the tip of his nose, back. "Then again," he continued, oblivious to Sasuke, "you do have a right to know."

"Wha—?"

"You're here for research—the FBI and government have taken this project under their wing, unbeknownst to the United States and president—"

Sasuke closed his eyes, his head beginning to throb again. FBI? United States? He'd never heard of these things. "What the hell are you talking about?" He yelled, cutting the man's next words off.

Almost instantly the eyes behind the glasses narrowed. Standing up straighter, the man sneered at Sasuke again. "My apologies, I forgot how clueless all of you would be." Sasuke started at these words. _'All of you'… So there are others here. _"Yes, well, where to start? Eleven years ago, the FBI stumbled upon the greatest discovery since electricity—in my opinion, it's even greater. They created a time machine. However, this machine didn't work as planned. Instead of transporting the agent who tested it out backward or forward in time, it left the agent in the middle of a field, in a very different world than Earth. After much exploring, it was only six years later that we formed this secret organization known as Portal. While in the other world—your world, presumably—agents discovered a group of rebels. These people call themselves… ugh, what was it again, some weird name… the _Akatsuki_, I believe? Anyways, it was quickly established that both the FBI and the… the Akatsuki were very powerful groups, and so logically, we partnered together."

Sasuke's heart was drumming against his chest. "_What_?" It was all so confusing, but if what this man said was true, then—

"And so, we made a deal. The rebels were to supply us with test subjects, since the beings of your world are so… so phenomenal. And in turn, we would grant them pretty much a free rein in our country—as long as they didn't make themselves known to the citizens… I must say, they are quite the nuisance."

Sasuke swallowed, unable to get around what he'd just heard. He was… in a different _world_? There were other worlds? What did this man mean when he said that Sasuke and people from his world were 'phenomenal'? Sasuke gasped, wincing. His headache was getting worse.

"So… I'm a test subject—?"

The man, however, was ignoring Sasuke again. Moving closer to the table, he suddenly gripped Sasuke's right wrist. "Don't move." He commanded. Before Sasuke could react, there was an agonizing pain in his wrist. Clenching his teeth, Sasuke strained his neck, trying to see what was happening to his wrist. The pain continued to move down his arm as the man slid the knife further into his skin. Sasuke's knuckles clenched and he gasped as the knife continued to slice his skin. After a moment, the man withdrew the knife, inspecting it closely. Blood beaded on the surface. Seeming satisfied, the man took out a bag from his coat and slipped the bloodied knife into it. Without another word he left the room, leaving Sasuke gasping in pain. Blood flowed freely from the long wound that snaked its way all the way down Sasuke's upper arm. Sasuke grunted as the stinging increased. _That bastard cut one of my veins._ Sasuke thought, narrowed eyes trying to get a good look at his bloody wrist. Already the blood had begun to pool, and the tips of Sasuke's hair became wet. Clenching his teeth harder as both the pain from his arm and head overwhelmed him, Sasuke struggled to let his tense body go limp. _If the blood isn't stopped soon, I'm a goner. Damn…_

"Hey, are you… okay?"

Sasuke turned so that he could see who'd spoken. The girl who he'd noticed earlier was awake now, sitting up. _Her hands and ankles aren't tied…! _Sasuke grimaced as his wrist stung painfully. On the opposite table, the girl cocked her head slightly, a confused expression on her face. "Hey… what…? Oh—Oh my god!" Hand flying to her lips, the girl reeled back for a second as her eyes locked onto the blood that was pooling around Sasuke's wrist.

"Get out!" Sasuke snapped, eyes flicking towards the door. "Before they find out that you're not tied up—Aggh!" Arching his back as his head suddenly erupted into skull splitting pain, Sasuke closed his eyes, his breathing heavy. Suddenly he felt a hand on his left arm. Opening his eyes slightly, Sasuke found the girl standing beside him, one hand over her mouth. Suddenly she reached into her skirt pocket, withdrawing a small pocketknife. Quickly the girl cut a strip of her shirt off and hurried around the table to Sasuke's wrist. "Oh God…" She breathed. From what Sasuke could see, the girl looked like she was about to pass out. "I can do this." She whispered, taking a deep breath.

* * *

"I can do this." You repeated to yourself, gulping as you slid the strip of cloth under the boys injured wrist. Accidentally, you jostled his arm, causing the boy to grunt in pain. "Sorry!" You gasped, heart beating a mile a minute. You tried not to notice the puddle of blood that was slowly soaking the boy's hair—it was making your stomach do flips just to see it in your peripherals. You were an inch away from a total breakdown. What was going _on_? You'd been on a train, the last you remembered. So then, what were you doing _here_? Ignoring these thoughts, you focused on tying the cloth around the boy's wrist, which oozed blood. The rest of his arm wasn't as bad as his wrist, though it was also bleeding. "I think a vein's been cut." You murmured.

"I kind of guessed." He snapped sharply

You decided to ignore the boys' rudeness. "How'd this happen—Oh!" You flinched in horror, your finger accidentally brushing all along the deep wrist wound. There was a sharp intake of breath from the boy, and then suddenly he sighed.

"How'd you do that?" He asked.

"Do what?" You wondered, bewildered.

The boy craned his neck so that he could see you. "You… The pain is gone."

What? You stared at the boy's wrist… The wound was gone! "How did I…?" Slowly, scaredly, you took your finger and ran it along the deep cut that extended down the boy's upper arm. Again, there came a sharp gasp of pain, and then, a sigh. You couldn't believe what you were seeing. Where the long- cut had been a moment ago now there was only smooth skin.

"How'd you do that?" The boy repeated, looking back at you. His eyes pierced your skin, making you feel uncomfortable.

"I don't… really know. I just touched it and it healed." Again you found yourself staring at where the cuts had just been. How _had_ you done that?  
"Well don't just stand there, help untie me!" You jumped a little at the urgency in the boy's voice. You shivered. Whoever'd done that to him had been planning on letting him bleed to death. You had to get out of here.

"Right."

* * *

_This isn't happening. This can't be happening…_

"Aaaa_ug_h!"

_No, I'm dreaming…_

"S-stop—Rgh!"

_Why is this happening?... _"Neji!" Naruto yelled, straining against his bonds. He had to get free, he had to save Neji. "Stop it! What are you doing to him?" Naruto screamed. The taller of the two men turned to glare at Naruto.

"Can I knock this one out? He's getting on my nerves."

The smaller man frowned, eyebrows furrowing as he glanced up at his comrade. "How many times have I told you not to interrupt me while I'm working? No, you can't knock him out! Gag him if you want, just don't bother me anymore!"

"Fine." Moving from his place beside Neji's table, the man moved off to the side, searching in his coat for something to quite Naruto with. Now that the man was out of the way, Naruto turned his head, desperate to see what was happening to Neji. The sight caused him to freeze, a gasp escaping his lips. _They cut him open. He's awake… and they cut him open… _Naruto felt his nails grow longer as his anger grew, felt fangs grow in his mouth as the fox spirit took over his features. "You sick bastards! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

From Neji's side, the smaller man didn't even look up when he answered. "Research. I would have thought that obvious."

"You're killing him!" Naruto growled. He shuddered as again he caught sight of Neji's bloody chest. That man… he'd just cut Neji open… Naruto felt like he was going to vomit, and turned away for a moment. Memories flashed through Naruto's mind, of the past, of the chunin exam, of the days after. He'd hated Neji when he'd first met him. No— he'd _despised_ him. But little by little, Naruto had grown to like him. And now, _this_… Suddenly, Neji let out another pained cry. Naruto snapped. "_Stop_! _Please_ stop! Use me instead! Knock it off; can't you see that it's hurting him? Why are you…" Naruto suddenly saw only red, his voice growing rougher as the nine tails spirit took over. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" A tearing sound ripped through the room, and suddenly, Naruto was free.

"Whoa… what the—?" The taller man gasped, taking a step back. Naruto stood hunched on the table he'd only moments ago been lying on, red chakra swarming around him. Behind him, nine red tails of chakra had formed.

Casting one last glance at Neji— who was on the verge of passing out, his face full of agony— Naruto focused his attention on the man who had caused his friend so much pain. "I'm… GONNA KILL YOU!"

* * *

**Wow, I really can't believe it only took me a day to write all that—normally it takes me weeks… Hm, well, I only thought this idea up yesterday, and since I was too sick to fall asleep yesterday (yaaaay freezing cold! Thank you once again -_-) I had time to really think about it. I'm so used to writing goody-goody things, where no one really gets hurt and nothing bad really ever happens—it makes me uncomfortable when I write about those things, so I wanted to see how I could do. I hope you liked it, I'll try and get the next chapter out so (will they escape? I hope so… *sweatdrop*). I actually just got into Naruto a couple months ago, thanks to my cousins XD. I'm on the 24****th**** Shippuden episode, so I'm getting there! I have to saw, I like how it's not little kiddish anymore (and Sakura's badass! Yes! Now I don't have to hate her anymore!). Anywho, please review, I'd really like to hear what you think of this! 'Kay, peace!**

**~MarXno**

***Me and my cousin late at night talking about Naruto***

**Me – I really love it—who's your favorite?**

**Cuz – Sasuke, duh! You?**

**Me –Erm… **

**Cuz - ?**

**Me – Well… there's SO MANY hot guys! I really like Naruto though… And Neji… And Shikamaru… and Sasuke… And Gaara… and Deidara… And Itachi… and Kakashi…. And—**

**Cuz – OK! God…**

**Me – You know who I hate though? Like, with a passion…**

**Cuz – Lemme' guess…**

**Us – Orochimaru.**

**Me – EXACTLY!**

**Cuz –Yeah, same here…**

**Me – Is it me, or is he…**

**Cuz – He just seems so…**

**Us – So… **_**unnecessary**_**.**

***Looks at each other in surprise* O_O**

**Us – HE REALLY IS! *Wiggles tongues***

***sighs* Yup…Has anyone else ever had a retarded conversation like the one above? -_-**

**Does anyone agree with us…? =P**


	2. Nightmare No More

**Nightmare No More **

Naruto could barley see, his vision was blurred a crimson red. Hatred coursed through him, and a rage so unbelievable that a part of Naruto shrank back from it—but that part was quickly forgotten. With a growl Naruto leapt from the table, his entire body covered in red chakra—he was taking on the form of the ninetails already. Before the taller man could even do so much as let out a cry, Naruto was upon him: ripping, clawing, and slicing. He was so enraged that he couldn't even see anymore, all he could do was claw at the man who'd done this to Neji and him. Suddenly Naruto stopped abruptly. He shouldn't be focusing so much on this man—he wasn't the one who'd hurt Neji. Turning from the man—who dropped to the floor, blood pooling around him—Naruto let out a wild yowl and launched himself over the table that Neji was on, crashing right into the man responsible for Neji's pain. Naruto barley felt one of the nine tails begin to grow; he was so focused on destroying the man before him. It was like a mouse being attacked by a lion—there was no chance of fighting back, or surviving for that matter_. Die! _Naruto thought, bringing a clawed hand down to slice across the man's face, blood splattering the wall. _You will DIE! _With a spurt of unbearable rage, Naruto picked up the man and hurled him as hard as he could against the opposite wall. There was a loud crack, and then silence—neither man moved.

Breathing heavily, Naruto felt another tail begin to form. He was pissed! He'd never been so angry before, not even when he'd fought Deidara trying to save Gaara… Letting out a low growl, Naruto took a step forward, eyes on the taller man—he wasn't finished with him, or the other one, for that matter. Suddenly, someone let out a gasp of pain, causing Naruto to whip around, teeth bared. Instantly his anger died out. _Neji_. Tails receding, Naruto hurried over to his friend, his stomach doing flips as he drew closer. "Neji…" Naruto breathed, his face suddenly ghost white. Neji didn't respond, but closed his eyes, his expression causing Naruto to go weak at the knees. "Neji…" He had to do something! Naruto felt lightheaded and dizzy, and his breath was coming in short gasps. Panic clenched his heart, but Naruto forced himself to think. There had to be more ninja besides them being held captive. He couldn't heal Neji's wound—which, Naruto realized with a jolt, would surely kill Neji if he didn't get help quick—but maybe there was a medical ninja somewhere in the place. The thought caused hope to reenter Naruto's heart. "Hold on Neji, I'm gonna go get help!"

Racing to the door, Naruto pushed hard, but it didn't budge. But hadn't those guys just come through it? Not pausing to think more than that, Naruto took a step back. Summoning two shadow clones, he focused his chakra, remembering what the Pervy Sage had taught him. "_Rasengan_!" Naruto shouted, smashing through the door. It crumbled easily, causing Naruto to be propelled forward and smash through the door across the hall. Not pausing to think if maybe there were other men like the one's he'd just encountered, Naruto barreled into the room. Dust billowed around him, making it impossible to see who was inside. "Is there any medical ninja in here? Please, anyone who can heal?" There was a scuffling to the right of Naruto, causing him to jump. "Hello? _Please_, if you can heal, you have to help my friend!" The dust was beginning to clear now, and Naruto caught sight of a table, though no one was on it. Suddenly a girl came through the dust, her face covered in it, and plastered with confusion and worry. She stopped a few feet from Naruto, her red hair spilling down her back.

"You… need someone to heal a friend?"

Naruto started, had he really gotten so lucky as to find a medical ninja so quickly? "Yes! Please hurry, he's dy—…"

The girl frowned, narrowing her eyes. "He's _what_?" Naruto ignored her however, his mouth open wide, eyes huge. The girl shifted uncomfortably, her gaze following Naruto's. The dust had finally settled, coating the room in a thick powder. Naruto felt his fists clench as his mind went blank. How was this possible? What was going on? How was it possible that _he_ was here right now?

"It's been a while, Naruto."

"Sasuke."

* * *

_**Bam! **_Tenten flinched slightly, her head snapping in the direction of the sudden noise. What the hell was happening out there? It sounded like there was a fight going on… Rubbing her wrists, Tenten watched as Gaara broke the straps that bound her legs. "Thanks." She said, flexing. Gaara didn't say anything, but moved towards the door, the sand following after him. Tenten watched as it slowly swirled under and between the door.

"Can you walk?" Gaara asked.

Tenten was silent as she slid herself to the edge of the table and gently lowered herself off of it. Her legs felt a little weak, but otherwise, she was okay. "Yeah, I'm good." In response, there was a click, and suddenly the door swung open. Tenten eyed Gaara's sand as it poured back into his gourd. "That really comes in handy, doesn't it?" She asked, walking over so that she stood beside Gaara. Tenten barley managed to keep her mouth shut when Gaara smiled. He'd actually smiled—was that even _possible_?

"You have no idea." He replied, causing Tenten grinned—she couldn't help it, she hadn't known that Gaara had, well, a personality… "You ready?" He asked.

"More than ready, let's get out of here!" Poking her head out of the room, Tenten glanced both ways. All was clear. "Okay, we're good." She breathed, taking a step out into the hallway. Gaara followed her. "Which way do you think we should go?" She asked, glancing back at him. Gaara scanned the narrow hallway beside her. There were eight doors in all—including theirs—facing across from each other. Suddenly, there came a muffled growl from to the right. A loud banging sound followed.

"That way." Gaara said, gesturing in the direction of the noise, causing Tenten to start in bewilderment.

"What? In the direction of the fighting?"

Gaara glanced at her. "How do you know it's fighting?"

Tenten reddened under the Kazekage's stare. "Well, that's what it sounds like, at least…" She mumbled.

Tenten was pretty sure that Gaara had grinned, though she hadn't really seen it—she'd been too busy hiding her red cheeks. After a moment, Gaara spoke. "If there is a fight down there, then there's a possibility that another ninja has gotten free. We'll be able to help them take out whoever they're fighting, and possibly gain some information."

"Or a strong ally." Tenten added, picking up on Gaara's thoughts. She nodded, understanding now. "Okay, let's go." Tenten said—it bothered her that they were standing in the same spot that they had been since they'd escaped the room. They needed to get away, not linger. Quickly the two hurried down the hallway, not making a sound as they passed other doors. A part of Tenten wished that they could open the doors; that they could save the people that might very well be trapped behind them. She glanced at Gaara. She would have to ask him if they could check the other rooms. Tenten didn't think she could bear leaving anyone behind in this place.

_**BOOM!**_

It happened so suddenly Tenten had no time to react. The door to the left of them, which they'd just been passing, suddenly exploded into a pile of rubble. A shining ball of light came straight for her. Tenten's eyes grew huge—there was no way she had time to dodge whatever was barreling towards her—she was right in its path. Suddenly, Tenten was yanked hard from behind, causing her to fly backwards and land on something that let out an "_oof_!" The blue light continued until it smashed through the opposite door. As the dust cleared, Tenten stumbled to her feet, her legs shaking a bit from the close encounter. Glancing down to see what she'd fallen on, Tenten froze. Gaara was lying on the ground. Slowly, he sat up and shook his head. It took a few seconds before Tenten finally put the pieces together_. Wait… he pulled me out of the way? But… _Tenten was still a little unsure as she reached out a hand to help Gaara up. Though she'd been on one of the two squads sent to save Gaara from the Akatsuki, Tenten had still sort of thought of the Kazekage as he used to be, during the Chunin exams_. I guess he really has changed… _"Thanks!" Tenten said breathlessly. "I thought I was a goner." Gaara nodded, but his eyes were on the destroyed doors.

"Guess we found the fight." He said.

Tenten recalled the shining light—it'd reminded her of Naruto's rasengan. "And by the looks of it, one of the fighters is a ninja." Following Gaara, Tenten picked her way through the rubble, heading for the first door that had been broken. Once inside, Tenten gasped at the sight before her. Two mangled bodies, bleeding profusely, and two tables—the room was the exact same as the one they'd just escaped, only here there was someone lying on a table. Glancing at Gaara, whose eyes were also on the figure, Tenten moved forward cautiously. Blood dripped off of the table, causing her to shiver and stop for a moment. What had happened in here? Beside her, Gaara was staring hard at the person lying on the table.

"Wait a minute… I remember him…"

Tenten glanced confusedly at Gaara before returning her gaze to the table. If Gaara recognized the person, then he might be a ninja… Tenten took a small step forward, trying to get a better view. And then she saw his face, and her mouth popped open, and her heart felt like it was being ripped from her chest. "No…" It couldn't be… There was no way… Tenten rushed forward, her eyes taking in nothing but his face. "_Neji_!"

* * *

"Sasuke." You take a step back, surprised by the intensity of the strange boy._ Sasuke? Is that his name? _You glance at the dark haired boy who you'd just helped free. He wasn't very friendly, that was for sure… You reverted your attention back to the blonde boy—he'd just come bursting through the door! "Hey, who needs help?" You almost yelled, annoyed that the new kid was ignoring every word you said. When no reply came, you practically growled_. He said that someone was dying, I think._ You glanced down at your hands. You'd healed Sasuke's wounds… so maybe… Without a backwards glance you left the room, crossed the hall, and stepped into the room opposite the one you'd been held in._ Whatever, let them stare at each other! _You thought. You didn't even bother making sure if the hall was clear of people before you crossed—you were pretty sure you were dreaming, anyways. You could heal by just touching? Come _on_, how corny! The first thing you saw when you entered the room was a man lying in a pool of blood on the floor. Your stomach rolling, you leapt back. "Oh my God!" You gasped, hand flying to your mouth. You let out a squeal of surprise as you accidentally bumped into someone. Turning around, you flinched backwards as you met the glare of a tall, red haired boy with a Japanese-looking tattoo on the right side of his forehead. You scanned him quickly. Well, he was intimidating, alright. There was something about the kid that just screamed powerful and dangerous. You narrowed your eyes as they swept over his clothes. Well, he wasn't dressed as weird as Sasuke, but he was close… and why the hell did he have a giant peanut on his back?

"Who're you? Can you help him?" The voice startled you. Eyes flicking in the direction the voice had come from, you found a girl around your age standing next to the only occupied table in the room. Her hair was done up in two buns, and she clenched the table so hard that her knuckles were ghost white. Taking a step back in bewilderment, your eyes slid from the girl to the person lying on the table. Immediately you knew—he was the one that was dying. Almost against your will, your feet carried you over to the table so that you were standing across from the panic stricken girl. Confusion muddled your thoughts. Why were you here, so close to blood, to injury? Why hadn't you run off down the hall or had a panic attack or fainted? Almost instinctively you ran your eyes over the boy's body, checking his injuries. You tried to suppress the shudder that ran through your body as you took in the blood spattered sight. Blood poured from the long wound that ran all the way down the boy's chest, coming to an end mid-stomach. You swallowed. The wound was long and deep, and obviously very painful. By now your heart was doing flips. You couldn't do this! What if you couldn't heal him? What if this nightmare took a turn for the worst and you only ended up hurting the guy more? Clutching your stomach, you averted your gaze from the eyes of the girl who was watching you, the girl who was desperately hoping that you could save her friend— that you could help. Heart thudding, you gulped in air, your eyes finding the boy's face. He was in so much pain. You could tell just by looking. Teeth clenched, eyes screwed shut—the boy's face was a mask of pain. A thought occurred to you as you stared at the boy. What if it did work—your touch healing him? You had to try.

Gulping once more, you steadied yourself, though the attempt was in vain—your whole body was shaking uncontrollably. You couldn't believe that you were actually going to do this. Moving closer, you reached out a hand slowly—it shook violently, though you hardly noticed. "Hold him steady, this may hurt at first." You gasped, glancing up at the girl. She hesitated for a moment, eyeing your trembling hand, before nodding and placing both her hands gently against the boy's shoulders. Moving closer, you swallowed, afraid that your heart would pound right out of your chest—it was beating so hard that it hurt. Extending a shaking arm, you drew closer. You couldn't believe you were doing this! You could feel yourself begin to hyperventilate—_why_ were you doing this? You _couldn't_ do this—! A hand suddenly was on your shoulder. Turning around, startled, your eyes met those of the red haired boy. He blinked, and something in his eyes made you realize that he was only trying to comfort you. Immediately you relaxed a little—his touch was so reassuring. Before you could stop yourself, you spoke. "Could you…?" You gestured beside you, and to both your horror and relief the boy nodded and moved to stand beside you, his hand still on your shoulder. You bent your head, a red hot blush erupting onto your cheeks. You had to admit, it was a little weird to ask him to stand next to you, but for some strange reason, the boy comforted you. Taking a deep breath, you steadied yourself and brought your two fingers down on the boy's chest. Immediately you let your fingers slid along the wound, closing your eyes until they were only slits as you did so. Adrenaline coursed through your veins, helping you to ignore the blood that wet your fingers. As you'd predicted, the boy cried out at first and struggled weakly. Thankfully, the girl kept a firm hold on his shoulders. "Almost done." You whispered. You'd suddenly grown very calm, and incredibly sure of yourself. Finally your fingers came to the end of the long wound. Stepping back, you let out a sigh of relief, as did the boy. The wound had completely closed up.

The room was suddenly too quite. The blood that had been rushing in your ears had died down, and now you couldn't help but notice the stare of bewilderment that you were receiving from the boy beside you. The girl, on the other hand, was still panicked.

"Neji? Are you okay?" Glancing up, she ignored you, staring at the boy beside you. "Gaara, can you help me with the straps?" Gaara nodded, his hand dropping from your shoulder. As he moved past you, you couldn't help but whisper "thank you." Glancing in the direction of the door your thoughts drifted back to Sasuke and the strange boy. What where they doing? Wiping your hands on your shirt, you headed for the door, this time cautiously poking your head out of the door before you crossed the hall. However, you were brought up short. The two boys were in the hallway, breathing hard. Strange looking knives littered the ground. There were several bloody cuts on both boy's arms and legs, as well as one on the blonde's cheek. A strange ball of light rested in the blonde haired boy's hand. Eyes widening, you glanced down the hall, and what you saw made you do a double take. There was a chirping sound coming from Sasuke's palm, and something that looked like a mix of electricity and lightning rested in Sasuke's hand. You couldn't believe that you hadn't heard this while you were healing that boy… what was his name again? Neji? Remembering the panic that had engulfed you before you'd healed him, you shook your head, trying to rid yourself of the thought. Actually, _no_, you could…

Suddenly the two ran at each other.

"_**SASUKEEE**_!"

"_**NARUTOOO**_!"

Wha—they were _fighting_? You couldn't believe it. After everything that had just happened, they were fighting! Without thinking, you took a step forward, putting your hands up. "**STOP**!" You shouted, surprised at how commanding your voice sounded. "STOP IT RIGHT _**NOW**_!" You wanted to close your eyes, to shut them tight and pray that the two wouldn't hit you,'cause it sure didn't look like they were gonna stop. But you didn't. Forcing your eyes to stay open, you glared at the shocked faces of the two boys, standing your ground. You nearly leapt out of the way at the last second, as they came within a yard of you with their strange, lit up palms, but you gritted your teeth and locked your legs, refusing to move. You felt the heat of whatever was in their palms, felt the breeze ruffle your hair, as Naruto and Sasuke stopped within an inch of your outstretched hands. Eyes narrowing, you slowly let your hands fall and glared at the two of them. They were both breathing hard, eyes narrowed, staring at you. Blood dripping from the cut on Naruto's cheek, a bruise was already beginning to form on Sasuke's jaw. The two were giving you the dirtiest look you'd ever seen. You, however, didn't care how much they gave you the death-stare. "Are you two _INSANE_?" Why the hell are you fighting? Are you guys really that stup—" _**Click**_. You froze, a soft gasp escaping your lips. Your eyes slid past Sasuke, ignoring his angry expression completely. You'd know that sound anywhere—after all, your father loved to hunt. The man stood at the end of the hallway, gun raised, aimed at Sasuke's back. Everything happened so slowly after that.

"What, what is—?" Naruto's eyes widened as he saw the man at the end of the hall. Reading Naruto's horrified expression, Sasuke turned just in time to see the man fire the gun.

"NO!" You shouted, pushing Sasuke out of the way. He would get killed! He would—! You let out a soft scream as the bullet ripped through your stomach—the pain was blinding, blinding and unbearable. Your hands flying to your wound, you felt the blood begin to flow as you fell… Strong arms caught you and lifted you out of the air before you could hit the ground. Your vision was beginning to fade, causing you to panic. Frantically you brushed your fingers along the wound, shrieking in pain as soon as you did so. _What_? It didn't work? It hadn't healed!

Naruto, face white, swallowed. "What-What was that?" The man was reloading his gun, you could hear it.

"Get—" You tried to say, eyes sliding in the direction of Sasuke. However, as soon as you spoke, there was an explosion of pain, causing you to cry out in agony.

"_Sasuke_!" Naruto yelled as you cried out in pain. "Get him!" You were blacking out now, but the pain wasn't fading with your vision, it was increasing. You couldn't help the soft whimper that escaped your lips. Naruto looked down at you. "It's okay. We'll get you help, its okay." You wanted to believe him, you honestly did. But you couldn't. This wasn't a dream, this wasn't a nightmare. You really had been kidnapped, this was all _real_. You were trapped in this place, and obviously the people running it wanted you all dead. You really could heal just by touching something, but it didn't work when you tried to heal yourself… You'd just gotten shot, and the only people who were there to save you had a fighting problem and strange, glowing hands. All in all, things weren't looking so great.

* * *

**Lemme' just start out by saying that I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It took me all day to write… Normally I wouldn't finish a chapter in a day, but today just was horrible (Like, FML horrible!). So I was surprised yesterday with the new Ipod touch, and lemme' tell you, it's amazing! So I was walking down the stairs this morning and it was in my pocket and what happens? IT FALLS OUT! I wish I could describe how pissed I am, ugh! Now I have to buy a new one—it's all cracked and broken -_- I really can't believe that it's broken. So, that's why I wrote the whole chapter, 'cause I was (am) so pissed that I needed to take my mind off of it… Anyways, on a brighter note, I'm getting farther in the Shippuden episodes! Okay, so maybe I'm only at the part where Sai comes in, but hey, that' still pretty good for me! Haha… yeah. Okay, I need a cookie… Until next time…**

**~MarXno**

**PS. Yeah, the whole thing about Ember thinking Gaara's gourd was a giant peanut came from my friend. We were just chilling in class, and I said something about Gaara and she was like: "Who's that? Oh wait, is he the one with the giant peanut on his back?" I didn't even know she watched Naruto! Or at least tried to… God I need new friends… Fail.**


	3. A Dash To Freedom

**A Dash to Freedom**

Neji moaned, though the unbearable pain that had only moments before consumed his whole being was slowly fading. His while body felt like it was hollow, like it was made out of glass, and would shatter and second, if he moved it the wrong way, or too quickly. His vision, which had been blurred and fading, was coming back to him now, and with it came someone's voice… "Neji! Neji!" He knew that voice… It was so… familiar… Suddenly her face came into view, beautiful as ever, concern and horror reflecting in her eyes. Tenten. No… how could she…? She wasn't real, she wasn't here, he was unconscious, he was dreaming. But then the girl placed her hands on his cold face tenderly, and Neji felt his heart beat faster. She _was_ here! She was really here! … She was here… Slowly, his excitement faded, his heart sinking. Tenten was here… stuck, in the same predicament as Naruto and himself. Neji swallowed, his fear mounting. The same thing that had just happened to him could happen to her… to Naruto… they had to get out of here! Wherever here was...

"Neji!" Tenten gasped, eyes swimming with tears. Neji blinked slowly, confused. Wait… what the hell? Who'd healed him? Not Tenten, as far as Neji knew, only Sakura knew medical ninjutsu. So… who then? Neji closed his eyes briefly, trying to remember what'd happened before the pain had ended. He eventually gave up in frustration. All he could remember was pain, blinding, numbing pain and a gentle finger sliding down his chest and stomach. He shivered at the memory. Tenten noticed this and, whirling around, called over the last person Neji would have ever expected. "Gaara! Come here, I-I don't know what's wrong…" Neji felt his fists ball up as the Kazekage walked over and put an arm on Tenten's shoulder. He glared weakly at the Sand ninja, but a sudden stab up pain in his chest caused his face to contort in agony. "Oh God—!" Tenten gasped, starting forward, panicked. Gaara walked over to Neji's other side and placed a hand on the injured ninja's bare chest. Neji felt Gaara's chakra flowing over and into his body, the pain lessening a bit. Sighing, Neji let his eyes close. He was so tired… He barely noticed when Tenten took his hand in hers.

"What's wrong with him?" Tenten asked, scared.

"Some of his organs are damaged." Gaara said, removing his hand from Neji's chest. "I've healed them the best I can."

"Will he be okay? _Is_ he okay?" Tenten sounded like she was on the verge of a panic attack.

"He should survive, if that's what you're getting at."

Neji heard Tenten's sigh of relief. "Thank you…" She whispered, relieved. There was silence for a moment. "Gaara?"  
"Hm?"

"I didn't know you were a medical ninja."

"I'm not—Baki had someone teach me, he thought it would be useful."  
"Well he was right… It seems like Baki really cares about you."

"Yeah, he—"

Neji's eyes snapped open as a strange shot sounded from outside. There was a scream of pain, followed by what sounded like Naruto shouting. Tenten and Gaara looked at one another, then at Neji. "Hey, you okay?" Tenten asked softly, squeezing Neji's hand. Too weak to talk, all Neji could manage to do was nod once.

"We have to get out of here." Gaara said, glancing around him warily. As if on cue, Naruto ran into the room, a bleeding girl nearly unconscious in his arms.  
"What—?" Tenten gasped.

"She was shot or something," gasped Naruto. He was shaking slightly, and looked freaked out. "I dunno how the guy did it… But we need to go, and _NOW_." Naruto glanced at Gaara. "Gaara, is Neji fit to be moved?"

Gaara paused for a moment, considering. "Yes. I'll carry him."

"Naruto, she needs medical attention!" Tenten gasped, eyes locked on the blood flowing freely from the girl's stomach. Naruto followed her gaze, flinching when he saw how much blood she was losing.

"I know, I know! But we need to get away first!" He glanced out of the door, then back in. "Sasuke's taking care of the guy. Let's move!"

* * *

Sasuke swiftly snapped the man's neck, not even giving him a chance to call for help. Leaving him where he'd dropped, Sasuke grabbed the strange looking device that the man had shot the girl with and stared at it for a moment. He could just go off and save himself, it would be so easy. But… that girl had saved him…. _So what, she was the one stupid enough to jump in front of whatever that thing was. _Still, something made Sasuke turn around, almost against his will, and sprint back to the others. At the door he met Naruto—still carrying the girl in his arms—, blood drenching his clothes, Tenten, and Gaara, carrying what appeared to be an unconscious Neji. "He's dead." Sasuke muttered, folding his arms and thumbing in the direction of the man. Naruto nodded, his face strained. Sasuke glanced at the girl again. "Let me see her." He said, surprising himself as well as the others. Without a word Naruto handed the girl to Sasuke, who cradled her against him, ignoring the blood that began to flow over his clothes. "Here." Sasuke said, tossing the strange object to Naruto.

"Let's move." He and Naruto said at the same time, glancing at each other in surprise. A second later they were all sprinting silently down the hall, stepsiding the dead man. The reached the end of the hall quickly, and were faced with the decision of going left or right.

"Which way?" Tenten asked, glancing left and right. Sasuke closed his eyes and listened. To the right there was nothing, no sounds whatsoever. To the left there was also nothing… wait… A soft, faint tapping, Sasuke could just barely hear it. Right, then.

"Right." Sasuke said.

"Left!" Sasuke glared at Naruto, who'd answered the same time he had. Naruto glared back just as fiercely. Sasuke felt his old rivalry begin to stir, but quickly reminded himself of his situation. _No time to get into this stupid game he likes to play_… Gaara and Tenten glanced at one another, then back at the other two. "Why right?" Naruto sneered.

"Because," Sasuke said calmly, if not annoyedly, "I can't hear anything in that direction. Whereas from the left I can here tapping…" Sasuke waited for the argument, for the criticism. Nothing was ever easy with Naruto.

"Okay, well then let's go!"

_What_? Had he really just said that? Sasuke quickly concealed his dumbfounded surprise and turned, leading the way down the right hallway. Never in a million years had he ever expected Naruto to agree with something he'd said, especially without arguing… He really had grown up. The group raced down the hallway, Sasuke listening for any noise when they came to the next decision. They did this for what seemed live decades. The hallways began to twist and turn. They began to have to choose a way to go less and less, and the hallways grew longer. The girl's blood had completely soaked Sasuke's clothes, but he hardly noticed. If they didn't stop the bleeding soon, she would die. _Since when do I care? _Sasuke asked himself as they rounded a corner. The answer was obvious. The girl had saved him twice; he was doubly in her debt. Normally Sasuke wouldn't have cared much… but then again, this wasn't what would be classified as _normal_.

Familiar shots suddenly range behind them, and Sasuke winced as something grazed his side. _Shit_. Turning his head, he found one, two, three, four guards emerging from two doors, shouting for backup, firing those strange objects at them. Before he could speak, Gaara turned, saw what was happening, and sighed. "I've got it." Immediately sand began to float from his gourd. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the guard's reactions. They looked at the sand as if it were a ghost or something. Had they really never seen something like this before? The sand was pouring quickly from the gourd now, engulfing the men, choking them.

"Gaara!" Tenten shouted as something shot past her head.

"Sand Burial!" There was a sickening squish as the sand crushed the guards, and then silence. Sasuke thought he saw Tenten wince. _Great_, there went their stealth. _I hope no one heard that_… Sasuke sighed; of course someone would have…

As if on cue, Naruto's voice broke through his thoughts. "Uh, guys? I think we have some more company."

* * *

Naruto reached into a pouch, pulling out a few shuriken. At least six guards had emerged from doors on either side of the hall, and more were coming. _It can never be easy, can it?_ With a flick of his wrist Naruto sent his shuriken flying, each hitting its mark squarely in the throat. Five men dropped like rocks. That left… six. Six guards left. "Hah!" Naruto shouted, throwing a kunai at a guard who was emerging from a door close by. The kunai had no sooner lodged itself into the man's chest when three kunai paper bombs whizzed past Naruto's head. They hit three of the guards before exploding, two of the guards dropping as the knives lodged themselves into their hearts. The third simply glanced at the kunai, which had only caught his arm, and laughed mockingly. With a cry Tenten made the bomb explode, the smug smile sliding from the man's face a moment before he was lost in the small explosion. Three guards left.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, headed for two guards who stood in his way. He'd barely just pulled a shuriken from his pouch, however, when Sasuke leapt from the ground onto the wall, ran a few paces, and snapped his leg into the closest guard's jugular. There was a crack as the man's neck snapped. The other guard stared, shock etched on his face, as the other man dropped to the ground. Naruto took the opportunity to throw his shuriken, which sliced across the other man's neck.

Meanwhile, Gaara's sand was catching up quickly, and soon it was rushing past the group. The Kazekage dispatched of the last guard effortlessly, and the group raced forward. They managed to make it up two flights of steps and down a particularly long hallway—encountering only a few other guards—before alarms began to sound. Surprising the rest of the group, Sasuke stopped at the top of the stairs, laying the girl carefully in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Gaara asked, glancing around them.

"What does it look like?" Sasuke snapped, yanking the girl's shirt up and—ignoring the blood— placing his hands on top of her wound. Immediately they began to flow as chakra flowed from his palms into her.

Tenten gasped when she saw the wound. "It's-It's a hole!"

Naruto nodded, eyes wide. He hadn't even imagined that Sasuke would know anything about medical ninjutsu. He felt his fists ball, his teeth clenching. He'd grown strong, that was for sure. As for the medical ninjutsu… Kabuto must have taught him a thing or two…

When Sasuke took his hands away a few minutes later, the wound had grown smaller, blood clotting around it. Sasuke gently picked her up again, though he doubted she could feel anything—she was still unconscious.

"Let's go."

* * *

The lone figure watched, eyes locked on the monitors, as the escaped ninjas made their way through the facility. They were skilled, that was for sure. Dark blue eyes watched as the one in the orange threw strange looking knives at the guards sent to stop them, killing each one. More surprising still was the sand that the red haired boy controlled. Deadly, very deadly. And the agility! The stamina, the combat skills! The black haired boy, even while carrying someone, was able to run on the wall, to propel himself across it and then leap into the air, killing a guard with a perfect kick. Impressive. The Akatsuki had done a fine job in collecting specimens this year… There was something special about these ninja. Very special.

There was a sudden knock on the door, though the figure ignored it. It was so interesting, watching the escaped ninja's reactions to the guns. The icy eyes couldn't help put noticing, as they roved over the monitor screens, the unconscious boy that the red haired ninja carried. The girl in the dark haired one's arms had obviously been shot, but this one… Anger slipped into the director's heart. That boy… either was injured before being transported here—or while capture—, or was in the process of being examined.

The knock sounded again, louder this time, more impatient.

"Come in." The voice purred.

The door opened slowly, revealing two men in strange, black cloaks with red clouds scattered on them. Akatsuki. The taller one, the one who looked like a shark, stepped in first. "You summoned us?"

_What a freak, he looks like a fish_. "Yes, there appears to be a few ninja who've managed to escape. And since none of the guards can handle them, I figured I needed a little help from _people_," there was a pointed pause, "who are used to fighting them."

The blue man frowned, yet nodded, folding his arms. Meanwhile, the other member of the Akatsuki stepped into the room.

"What do you think?" The director asked, gesturing towards the monitor screens. "Recognize anyone?"

The man's eyes scanned the screens, stopping to rest on one which showed the group of escapees leaving a staircase and running down a hallway, looking warily about themselves. "Ohohoho, well whattaya know." The blue skinned man said, following his comrade's gaze. He walked over to the monitor, glaring at it hard. "Well isn't this something? You never told me they got your brother." He nudged the smaller man beside him, who seemed to ignore fish boy. "So who got him?" Kisame asked, pointing at the dark haired boy on the monitor. The director was silent for a moment.

"I believe it was Pain."

"Heh, no kidding." Kisame glanced at his partner, then back at the director. "I bet he was a hellavua guy to catch…" He muttered, scratching his neck. If he was anything like his older brother, that was…

"Actually no," the director stood, walking over to the monitors. "Reports say he was fairly easy to capture. Pain said that the boy seemed… distracted."

"What is it you require our assistance for?" It was the first time he'd spoken.

"Ah," Said the director, arms folded. "He speaks." Like Kisame, the director was ignored. "Well, this is what I need… For you two to restrain them." The director pointed a ringed finger at the monitor which displayed the escapee's previous fight. "They are very skilled, and—"

"—Yeah, yeah, we know." Kisame said, brushing off the rest of the director's sentence. The man grasped the hilt of the sword, which rested on his back. "You ready?" He asked his partner.

"Ah, gentlemen?" The director called, sounding slightly annoyed. "Please, keep their injuries to a minimum. Absolutely no fatal blows."

Kisame seemed to deflate a little. "Fine…" He grumbled, heading for the door.

"You know where they are?" The director asked.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll find em'!" Kisame shouted back, already halfway down the hall in his eagerness.

"Oh, and Itachi?" The director called to the man, who was nearly out the door. Piercing, alarming eyes caught the director's icy blues gaze and held it. The director smiled. "It is alright that you'll be fighting against your brother, right? I'm sorry I didn't ask before, how rude of me. I didn't even think of how very emotional this could be for yo—"

"—It's fine."

Such an emotionless voice… The director smiled pleasantly at the young man whose eyes bored menacingly back. "Perfect. Have fun now."

"Of course."

* * *

**This was so much fun to write! Then again, I've always loved writing action scenes. As stated in another one of my stories, I pretended to be sick and stayed home from school so I could write this! **_**Welll**_**… Okay, so maybe I missed my ride… But my mom's boyfriend offered to drive me to school, and then I pretended to be sick! Not that I'm proud of that or anything, I'm just happy I got this chapter done XD Hope you're enjoying it! If you have any ideas, just lay em' on me! 'Kay, peace!**

**~MarXno =P**


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